Minn. man buys surplus NC light tower for research

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A Minnesota man who bought an aging light tower off North Carolina's coast hopes to gets his first view of his new property next week.

Provided, of course, that the landing pad is sturdy enough for the helicopter to land on the Diamond Shoals Light Tower, which sits about 13 miles in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatteras.

Fifty-six-year-old Dave Schneider of Richfield, Minn., says he's confident the helicopter will be able to land Wednesday so he could evaluate the tower for a few hours. The General Services Administration only said it couldn't guarantee the landing pad was safe.

Schneider bid on the tower in September, paying $20,000 for the 5,000-square-foot tower. He hopes to renovate it and turn into a research station for different companies.